Reckless Disregard
by snowytetra
Summary: It was supposed to be a fun night out between brothers. But things went wrong. Oh so very wrong. No amount of apologizing could make up for what happened, could make his parents forgive him for his recklessness. Forgiveness was not something that could be given so easily. FACE Family. Rated T for now. May move to M later.
1. Heart Monitor

The heart monitor beeped in the background, the only sound that pierced the hushed atmosphere of the room, daring to remind the inhabitants of the delicate situation. Arthur paced nervously, unable to stay in one spot for long. He paced the room, sat down and was soon back up again, taking another slow lap around the room. Worry etched deep in his face, the British man completely controlled by his emotions could not for the life of him stay still. His partner, Francis, sat next to the hospital bed, one hand gently holding the hand of his son, occasionally moving his thumb over the back of it. The other remained motionless on his lap. Neither had spoken since they had arrived nearly two hours ago.

Arthur nearly jumped when there was a knock at the door, both men turning their gaze to the door. The door opened, light from the hallway brightening the room, intruding on the present gloom. The doctor that had been in charge of their son walked in, face emotionless as she came to bear her news. She seemed to hesitate before clearing her throat, looking between the two to make eye contact before speaking.

"He suffered some serious head trauma in the accident. I was told the airbag on the passenger window failed to inflate, which explains why the damage is so severe. The MRI revealed swelling in the brain, and what appeared to be some minor bleeding. Due to the location, we are confident the bleeding has stopped, but another MRI will be performed so we can be sure."

The doctor paused, letting her information sink in. She had dealt with situations like this before, so she understood how hard it can be for others to take this type of news.

"With the current information, we are unable to make an accurate diagnosis, but we are sure that your son's coma is caused by these injuries. We will continue to monitor him closely, but he is nearing his six hours window. While I remain hopefully, it does not look as if he will wake before then."

The silence returned, once again coating the room. Only one dared to break it.

"What happens after that?"

Francis asked quietly, just above a mumble. Arthur looked slightly surprised to hear his voice, eye slipping from his son up to the doctor to hear her answer.

"Then we wait. After six hours the chances of waking up without any complications decreases. Once he hits that mark, then our course of treatment will shift. The main goal will be to sustain life, rather than regain consciousness. At that point, it is up to your son and how he heals as to when he will wake up."

Her words lingered in the air, the doctor standing her ground for any questions the two may have. None came. She waited patiently, understanding how hard it could be for a parent to take in the news. That their child was lying in a hospital bed, unable to respond to them.

"Thank you."

Arthur choked out, glad his voice hadn't cracked as he spoke. The doctor gave a nod before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. Once more, the room quieted until only the heart monitor made a sound. The constant beeping that reminded the distraught parents of their son's condition and the horrible event that led to it.

It, however, also gave them hope. Hope that he would wake up, open his eyes, and smile. Smile like he always did.

* * *

_Hello everyone. Thank you for reading. This is the first Fic I have actually published, so please forgive any mistakes._

_Written as a belated Birthday/early Christmas present for a friend of mine. I will be continuing once I finish the next chapter._

_A rating or a review would be much appreciated as well as any comments, criticisms (constructive please), or recommendations._


	2. Friday Nights

"Come on Mattie! Please! It won't be like last time I promise!"

Alfred whined at his brother, standing in the door way to his room. This had been the fifth time tonight Matthew found himself on the receiving end of his brothers begging. Well, sixth now. He sighed and removed his head phones from his ears after pausing the movie he had been peacefully watching.

"You said the exact same thing_ last time_."

Matthew shot back, really not wanting to go. He was quite happy where he sat. So what if it was a Friday night. Going to a party was not his ideal way to spend an evening. His roommate and brother however, thought otherwise.

"What else are you going to do? Stay here and watch sappy chick flicks again? Come on. I know you will have fun. Scouts honor!"

If Alfred was anything, he was persistent. Annoyingly so. Matthew sighed. There was no way he could get away from it. If he didn't agree to go willingly, he was sure Alfred would just drag him out the door anyway.

"That was once. It was for a project... Fine. I will go. Let me get dressed."

Alfred smiled with triumph. He had won as he almost always did. Matthew sent him a half hearted glare to show he wasn't giving in because he wanted to. It did little to phase his cheerful brother.

"Knew you would! Hurry though, don't want to be late or all the good hook ups will be taken!"

With that, Alfred bounced downstairs to finish gathering the cans of beer and other bottles of alcohol he had promised to bring. His friend Gilbert, who's party there were about to head to, charged an entry fee to his parties. No booze, not entry. Though if you rated an eight or above on his scale he could be persuaded.

Matthew closed his door and with no great hurry, changed into something more suitable for wearing in public. Not that he cared much who saw him in his plaid pajama bottoms and grey t-shit, he knew that Alfred wouldn't let his brother show up without looking ready to party. So, with black jeans and a concert shirt on, he headed downstairs.

"Took you long enough! Get in the car!"

Alfred called from outside, honking his horn as if it would make him hurry. Matthew ignored it, going to make sure their two dogs had fresh water before giving his own white husky a loving pet.

"Take care of the house Kuma."

Kuma barked in response to his name, tail wagging, which brought a smile to his owners face before he turned to leave. After locking the house, Matthew casually walked to the car, taking his time.  
"Come on. You take forever."

Alfred complained, drawing out the vowels on the first half. Matthew shrugged, buckling his seat belt as Alfred pulled away from the curb. Once out of the little neighborhood he stepped on it, pushing his luck.

"Cops are going to be looking for speeders. Better slow it down."

Matthew cautioned. Alfred snorted, giving him a sideways glance. He almost never followed the traffic laws. In his four years of driving he had only been pulled over once for running some stop sign. Though the cop let him off since it was clearly covered by a tree branch.

"You know my luck. What makes you think it will change tonight?"

Alfred turned his attention back to the road, turning up the music once he realized what song was playing. He proceeded to jam out as he drove, trying to get his brother to join in. He didn't. Matthew watched out the window as the streets passed, purposefully ignoring his sibling.

"So. That blonde you have been checking out it going to be there."

Alfred yelled above the music he refused to turn down. Mattie raised an eyebrow, trying to play it cool. The last thing he needed was Alfred teasing him about a girl.

"You know. Short hair, cute accent, scary brother, huge ju-"

Matthew punched his brother's arm to cut him off, cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. Alfred only laughed, having successfully coaxed a reaction out of the more soft spoken of the two.

"So you do like her!"

Alfred exclaimed.

"Do... Do not!"

Matthew managed to stammer, frowning. He crossed his arms, adverting his gaze. Alfred only smiled over at him.

"Slow down idiot."

Alfred laughed in response, watching Matthew's reaction. He had hit the nail right on the head.

"Aww~ Don't try to change the subject! You never tell me about -"

"Alfred slow down!"

Matthew yelled as they approached the intersection. Alfred turned his gaze back to the road, suddenly realizing his mistake. The light glowed red.

"Shit!"

His foot moved to the left pedal, attempting to slam on his brakes. Alfred realized all too late that he overshot, his foot stomping down on the mat. Even after the realization and his attempt to correct, it was far too late.

The Ford Mustang drove head on into crossing traffic. To Alfred time seemed to slow as he felt his body attempt to fling out of his seat, heard Matthew's sharp intake of breath just a moment before the car plowed into the right side of the car. The strap across his chest tightened, forcing him back into his seat as his car suddenly flung sideways. His head bounced off the airbag back onto his head rest before her lurched once again to the right as his vehicle skidded into a light post.

Then silence. It was almost deafening, until his ears started ringing, the blonde slowly opening his eyes. He sat hunched against the steering wheel, off kilter to the right. With a low groan he forced himself to lean back against the seat, a flash of pain shooting up his left side from his leg. Alfred bit his lip, glancing down as his vision started to clear. His door was bent in at an odd angle, trapping his leg up against the under side of the dash. His mind registered that is where the pain came from at about the same time he noticed the warmth of a liquid the dripped down the side of his head. God his head hurt.

The ringing began to fade, replaced by the worried shouts of those who pulled over after witnessing the crash. Alfred coughed, taking in a breath of air. He could almost taste the metal and the burnt rubber. A man was waving at him through the shattered windshield. Alfred raised his right arm to show he was awake and alive. As his arm fell, a thought suddenly entered his head. A thought that brought panic. Matthew.

Alfred quickly turned his head, which was not his brightest idea as a jolt of pain forced a choked yelp through his lips. Forcing his mind away from the pain, he looked over at his brother. Matthew sat limp in his seat, head bent as his body leaned against the seat belt, the only thing keeping him upright. A breath he hadn't known he was holding let his mouth, almost relieved to see him, until he noticed the lack of movement from his chest.

"Matthew... Matthew!"

Alfred choked out, bringing his arm up to shake his brother's shoulder. His limp body shifted to what remained of the window, moving with a scary amount of ease. As he shifted, Alfred noticed the splatter of blood across the side of the car, or what he assumed was blood in the dim light. Fear filled his mind, his arm shaking as the reality of the situation dawned on him.

"No... No no no no no... Mattie... Matthew!"

Sirens blared as paramedics arrived. Alfred was pried from the wreckage first. He begged them to save his brother, becoming hysterical as he was wheeled away from the crash and into the back of an ambulance. The paramedics quickly got him under sedative to calm him down as he was raced to a hospital while the crew continued prying the remains of the car apart to get to Matthew.

Once free from the wreckage, Matthew was quickly rushed into the other waiting ambulance, those inside wasting no time to bring him back to the world of the living. Once a pulse was gained, the focus was shifted to his wounds. Both were taken to the same hospital, doctors working to access the severity of the situation.

Both were stabilized, and moved to more appropriate areas for recovery. Thankfully Alfred's wallet was recovered by a nurse who used it to identify them both as well as who to contact after running the names and insurance through the system. It was a call that no one wanted to make, one that unfortunately would not be the way the news made it to their parents.

* * *

_Chapter two is up, which takes place before the events in Chapter one, if anyone was confused._

_If you notice any errors, in either chapter, feel free to let me know. As always, a review would be lovely._


	3. Broken Heart

Francis sat in his office, going over the final changes for the magazines front cover. He somehow managed to get ahead of schedule, and looked forward to going home. Possibly even a day off tomorrow. The thought brought a smile to his face and he saved and closed the program, leaning back in his chair. Just before he moved to collect his things, a soft vibration rang through his desk. Sitting up he reached for his phone, smiling when he saw who was calling before he hit the green icon and put it up to his ear.

"I was just about to leave. You have gr-"

Francis didn't get to finish his flirtation as a voice crackled through the phone.

"Francis! There was an accident... The hospital... Alfred..."

He sat up, confused as he tried to calm his frantic partner.

"Whoa, whoa, Arthur. Calm down and repeat what you said. Take deep breaths."

His words did little to calm the Englishman on the line, Francis could tell, but at least it would get him to repeat what he said. Hopefully in a way that would be easier to understand.

"Alfred and Matthew... There was an accident. I got a call from the police department, I am on my way to the hospital now."

Arthur was obviously not okay based on the tone coming through the phone, Francis could tell that. His fingers tightened on the arm rest of his chair, eye narrowing. It hadn't completely sunk in what he was hearing. It wouldn't until he was halfway to the hospital. Alfred and Matthew had been hurt bad enough to be taken to a hospital. He didn't enough know how bad things were.

Arthur made it to the hospital first, finding a place to part quickly. He hurried inside, searching for where he was supposed to go, approaching the front desk.

"Alfred and Matthew. Just brought in. Where are they?!"

He asked, trying very hard not to panic. The lady behind the desk raised an eyebrow before turning her gaze to the computer. To Arthur, she couldn't have moved fast enough.

"They are not in the system yet, which means the nurses have not finished checking them in. Please have a seat until I can give you any information."

Arthur nearly yelled at the woman. How dare she keep him from his sons. A nurse noticed his expression and quickly walked over to calm him down and get him seated. She took his information as well as descriptions of Alfred and Matthew.

"Let me go check on the status of the two. Just wait here for a little bit, alright?"

He managed a tense nod, fidgeting with his phone. While he waited Francis arrived, quickly locating his partner and taking a seat next to him, wrapping a comforting arm around Arthur's shoulders. The two waited for any information they could get their hands on. After what seemed like forever, the nurse from before returned.

"Mr. Kirkland?"

Arthur's head popped up at his name, a hopeful glint in his eyes. Francis lifted his gaze to the nurse as well, both anxious to hear what she had to say.

"Both Matthew and Alfred are in our care. It seems that both are still getting scans done at the moment. I was told that Alfred should be able to be seen in the next thirty minutes. They didn't have an estimate for Matthew. I can return when we are able to see one if that will be alright?"

After letting the information sink in Francis gave her thanks. She nodded and hurried off to get more updates. He turned his attention to Arthur, who seemed to have taken the news less favorably. Francis did his best to comfort him, but he knew that seeing the boys would be the only way to give his partner the peace he was looking for.

An hour passed before the nurse returned, with good news. The three made their way into the hospital, headed for Alfred's room. Both men were antsy, nervously shifting weight between feet on the ride up the elevator. Once on the appropriate floor the nurse led them to his room, knocking softly before entering.

Alfred lay in his bed, the upper portion allowing him to stay in a more seated position. Both him and the doctor inside looked over as the door opened, a mix of gratitude and horror crossing Alfred's face.

"Alfred. Thank god you are alright!"

Arthur mumbled, quickly making his way to his bedside, Francis following him just as worried. Alfred gave a half grateful smile, wincing as it shifted the bruising on his left cheek. The doctor cleared his throat lightly to get the attention of the three.

"You must be his father."

Arthur and Francis nodded in unison. With eyebrow raised his dropped his eyes to the clipboard in his hands, flipping to the next page.

"Most of his injuries are to his left side. He has three broken bones, his left tibia and fibula, as well as his left clavicle. The rest is bruising and superficial scraps or cuts. Vitals checked out well. Seems he was lucky. Most don't walk away from accidents like that with what injuries he has."

Arthur visibly relaxed, Francis letting out a sigh of relief. It could have been much worse. That is what they got out of what they were told. Alfred did not share their joy.

"What about Matthew? He was in the car as well we were told."

Francis asked. The doctor paused before lowering his clipboard. Alfred tore his gaze away from Arthur, staring down at the blanket that covered his legs.

"I am afraid Matthew is still unconscious. We are working to determine the extent of his injuries, however we fear they are greater than that of Alfred."

All the relief they had gained from Alfred's state vanished. Arthur and Francis shared a look of deep concern. Alfred was unable to look at them. He knew it was his fault and Matthew was the last person he wanted to be paying for his mistake. For his reckless disregard for their safety.

* * *

_Hello everyone! I am terribly sorry for the time it took to get this chapter out. I wrote it out and realized I made a huge error with the time placement and had to scrap the entire chapter._

_The next chapter should come out sooner, but with school starting soon I can make to promises._

_If you see any mistakes, feel free to message me. Reviews would be lovely, and a thank you to those who have._


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